1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vacuum assisted molding. More particularly, it relates to fabrication of large composite elements using an infusion system supplemented by centrifugal force in a vacuum.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The manufacturing of large molded objects, such as boat hulls, large blades for an electricity-generating wind farm windmill, and the like, is problematic. Such large objects are typically molded by a time-consuming manual process. This drives up the cost of the individual products. Items made by manual labor are also more likely to be of inconsistent quality as no two products will be exactly alike.
What is needed, then, is a new manufacturing process for making large molded monolithic products. More particularly, there is a need for a manufacturing process that reduces the amount of manual labor needed to produce such objects. The needed process would reduce the cost of such objects. There is also a need for a new process that provides products having consistently high quality.
However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in this art how the identified needs could be met.